Ballot-box



No. 608,662. Patented Aug. 9, I898. L. M. FOSTER.

BALLOT BOX.

(Application filed Feb. 19, 1896.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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No. 608,662 Patontod Aug. 9, I898. L. M. FOSTER.

, BALLOT BOX.

(Applicstion filed Feb. 19, 1896.)

2 Shuts-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUUIAN M. FOS'lEl't, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, TO BENJAMIN POOLE, OF TOPSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

BALLOT-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 608,662, dated August 9, 1898.

Application filed February 19, 1896. Serial No. 579,887. (No modelfi T aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUOIAN M. FOsTER, of Boston, county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Ballot-Boxes, of which the following description, in Connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a registering bal- 1o lot-box; and it consists in various combinations and details of construction and arrangement of the mechanism hereinafter described.

The box is provided with a receiver in which the ballot to be voted is placed and from which it is transferred into the ballot box or receptacle by a single rotation of a main shaft provided with a suitable crank or handle. The receiver is provided with a stationary ledge or stop which prevents the introduction of the ballot into the box before the crank is turned, and the receiver has a movable bottom portion operatively connected with the main shaft, so that it is raised at the beginning of the rotation of the main shaft and 2 5 lifts the ballot sufliciently to cause it to pass over the said stationary stop. The counting mechanism consists of a series of numberwheels loosely supported on the main shaft, which rotates independently therein, and

0 means are provided whereby the counting mechanism is advanced one number when a ballot is introduced, but remains unaffected in case the main shaft is turned when no ballot is provided in the receiver. Said main 5 shaft is provided with feed-wheels cooperating with corresponding feed-wheels on the movablebottom of the ballot-receiver, and the mechanism also comprises canceling devices which operate to cancel the ballot by making a suitable imprint across the same in the operation of feeding it from the receiver into the box proper. The canceling devices also serve as a feeler or detector to control the operation of the counting mechanism ac- 5 cording as a ballot is present or not when the main shaft is rotated. If no ballot is present,

the main shaft may be rotated indefinitely without affecting the counting mechanism; but if a ballot is present the movement of the same by the movable bottom of the receiver causes it to change the position of the canceling device, the movement of which throws the counting mechanism into engagement with the main shaft, so that it advances one count upon the introduction of the ballot and 5 5 also causes an audible signal to be sounded. The ballot-receiver is also provided with a movable flap operated by the main shaft in such manner that it tends to advance the ballot into the receiver in case it is not properly located at the time when the main shaft is rotated to introduce the ballot, and said flap also closes the entrance to the ballot-receiver except when the main shaft is in proper position to begin the operation of feeding a bal- 6 5 lot into the box, the said flap being moved to closed position at the beginning of the rotation of the main shaft and being returned to open position at the completion of a rotation from the normal position or proper starting point for the operation of the main shaft.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a portion of a ballot-box embodying this invention; Fig. 2, a plan view of the counting mechanism and means for feeding the ballot into the box; Fig. 3, a transverse sectional detail thereof on line a Fig. 2; Fig. 4, asectional detail on line 05 Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a detail, on a larger scale, showing in front elevation a portion of the feeding and canceling mechanism in the po 8o sitions occupied when no ballot is present; Fig. 6, 'a similar view of said parts in position occupied when a ballot is present and being fed into the box; Fig. 7, a sectional detail on line 03 Fig. 2, on a largerseale, showing the devices whereby the counting mechanism is actuated from the main shaft; Figs. 8 and 9 are enlarged sectional elevation and plan view, re-

spectively, of means for throwing the counting mechanism into operative engagement 0 with the main shaft of the feeding mechanism when a ballot is present; Fig. 10, a crosssectional detail, and Fig. 11 a longitudinal sectional detail, of a portion of the counting mechanism; and Fig. 12, a detail showing in 5 plan view a modification of the shipping device controlling the engagement of the main shaft with the counting mechanism.

The mechanism of the box (shown separate from the box in Fig. 2) is supported between the end frame-plates A, said mechanism bein g contained in the upper part of the ballot IOO box proper, B, as shown in Fig. 1, in proper position to receive the ballots to be voted, which are presented thereto properly folded, and are then fed thereby into the main body of the box or receptacle B below and at the rear of the feeding and counting mechanism.

Extending across from one to the other of the end frame-plates A is an inclined shelf or bottom piece a, upon which the ballot is laid, and beyond the lower edge of said shelf and substantially at right angles thereto is a strip a (see Figs. 3 and 4,) constituting a stop, which receives the forward edge of a folded ballot when laid on the shelf CL and prevents the same from passing directly into the box, there being sufficient space below the counting and feeding mechanism to permit the folded ballot to enter readily as far as the stop a as indicated by the dotted line b, Fig. 4, the said space having the bottom a and front side wall (0 constituting the ballot-receiver.

The stationary shelf or bottom piece a of the ballot-receiver terminates at some distance from the stop a there being a space thus left between its lower or forward edge and the said stop, which space is afforded for the operation of a movable bottom piece 0, supported on arms 0 mounted on a rockshaft or sleeve d, so that it may rise and fall between the positions indicated by full and dotted lines, Fig. 3, said rising movement liftin g a ballot,if present,above the stop a so that it will be carried over the same by the feed mechanism hereinafterdescribed. Said movable bottom piece normally stands in the lower position (shown in Fig. 4 and in full lines, Fig. 3) when the receiver is in position to receive a ballot, and it is raised by the rotation of the main shaft 6, which is operated by the handle E in order to introduce a ballot from the receiver into the box B. Said main shaft 6 is provided with a cam 6 (best shown in Fig. 3,) which acts on an arm d from the rockshaft or sleeve (1, with which the supportingarms a for the bottom piece 0 are connected, the movement of said cam c thus causing the bottom piece 0 to be raised, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, the first part of the rotation of the shaft 6 and to remain so until the said rotation is nearly completed, the bottom piece 0 being permitted to drop back to fullline position in the latter part of the complete rotation of the main shaft and cam c thereon to the normal position shown in full lines, Fig. 3. The said arm d or its shaft d is also provided with a toothed segment (1 meshing with a pinion f on the pivotal bearing-shaft of a flap or cover F, which normally stands, as shown in full lines, Fig. 3, in position to form a substantial continuation of the stationary bottom piece a of the ballot-re ceiver, said flap being turned through sub stantially a half-rotation by the toothed segment (1 and pinion f when actuated by the cam c on the main shaft, and thus following the rear edge of the folded ballot and, finally,

closing the ballot-receiver behind the same, as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 3, during the time that the movable bottom piece 0 is rising to clear the forward edge of the ballot from the stop a of the ballot-receiver, as before mentioned. The said movable bottom piece 6 or frame supporting the same is provided with rolls g (best shown in Figs. 5 and 6,) which cooperate with the ballot feeding and canceling mechanism as said bottom piece is lifted by the cam 6 the rolls g being loose or freely-rotating feed-rolls, preferably having a yielding surface and cooperating with companion feed-rolls g fixed upon the main shaft 6 and positively rotated thereby when turned by the handle E. The lifting of the bottom piece 0 of the ballot receiver brings the rolls g or the ballot lying thereon into contact'with the feed-rolls g which are toothed or roughened, so that in case a ballot is present it will be fed with certainty thereby over the edge of the stop-ledge a into the box.

The rollers 9 which are also carried by the movable bottom piece 0 and lifted thereby during the rotation of the main shaft 6, serve, in conjunction with companion rolls g g as a ballot feeler or detector that controls the op eration of the counting mechanism according as a ballot is present or not in the receiver when the main shaft 8 is operated.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 9, there are two sets of ballot-detector wheels g g one near each end of the counting mechanism, one of which sets is mounted on a supporting-arm 9, connected, as shown at the left hand in Fig. 9, with a sleeve 9"", having a pivotal bearin g on a shaft A connecting the frame-plates A of the feeding mechanism, while the arm g supporting the other set of detector-rolls, is similarly connected with the sleeve having a pivotal bearing on the sleeve g'. The said sets of detector-rolls may thus rise and fall independently of one another, they normally hanging over the rolls g but between the same and below the periphery of the feedrolls 9 as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Thus if the rolls 9 are raised from the full to the dotted line position,'Fig. 5, when no ballot is present the said rolls will pass between the companion detector-rolls g 9 as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 5, without lifting the latter; but if a ballot is introduced, as shown at I), Fig. 6, it will bridge the space between the rolls g and thus lift the companion rolls 9 g to the position shown in Figs. 6 and 8 and retain the said rolls lifted during the feed of the ballot by the wheels 9 g into the box.

The rock-shafts g g which are turned by the rising of the two sets of detector-rolls g g, are provided each with an arm g 9 said arms carrying a shifting device h (L2 in the form of a two-part cam or wedge interposed between an annular collar or projection h on a shaft 72/1 and a similar annular collaror projection h on a sleeve 7L, having a splined IIO connection, as by a slot and pin, (indicated at 721 with said shaft it, which has its bearings in the main frame-pieces A. The said sleeve h is thus shifted from its normal position longitudinally on the shaft toward the right, as seen in Fig. 9, by the movement of the shifting device it ]L2 from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 9, caused by raising both sets of detector-wheels as shown in Figs. 6 and S. Said sleeve It carries the prime actuating device for the counting mechanism, which comprises a series of number-wheels 'i 1' 2' loosely journaled on the main shaft e and each provided with a gear-wheel 7t, meshing with a smaller toothed wheel 7%, supported on the shaft 7i. The toothed wheels 7%, meshing with the gears 7c of the number-wheels 2' for the figures above the units place,are loosely journaled on the shaft 70, while the toothed wheel meshing with the gear 71), connected with the number-wheel i corresponding to the units place in the total number to be indicated, is fixed upon the shaft 7L", that is splined to the sleeve 712*, controlled by the shifting device 7L 7L2, as above described. The said sleeve and shaft 70, splined thereto, and the gear k for the units-wheel fixed on said shaft are turned by the rotation of the main shaft when a ballot is present by the following means: Said sleeve is provided with a double star-wheel a n cooperating with a flange n and projection it", carried by the main shaft 6 and shown in this instance as adjacent to the cam 6 that operates themovable bottom of the ballot-receiver.

The star-wheels each have three teeth so arranged that when two teeth of the wheel n rest on the flange 713, as shown in Fig. 7, the latter prevents rotation of said star-wheel and the sleeve 7t and shaft 7L connected therewith.

The projections of the star-wheel n are intermediate between those of the star-wheel n so that one of said projections of the wheel a projects inward toward the axis of rotation of the flange n, while two projections of the wheel 91 rest upon the surface of said flange. (See Fig. 7.) p

In the normal. position of the sleeve 7L; on the shaft 7L, as shown in Fig. 2, the star-wheel n rests upon the unbroken periphery of the flange a during the com plete rotation thereof, and the star-wheel 7b is not engaged during said rotation, so that said star-wheels and the counting mechanism actuated thereby are not advanced. lVhen, however, the sleeve 7b is moved by the shifting device 7i 7L2 to the position shown in Fig. 9, the star-wheel a is brought in position to be engaged bythe projcction'n." (see Fig. 7) 011 one of the spokes of the flange n as the latter is rotated by the shaft c,thus turning the star-wheel,and by the same movement of the sleeve the star-wheel n is brought in line with an opening a (see Fig. 9) in the flange m, which permits said star-wheel to be rotated by the action of the projection n on the star-wheel n, the flange at the edge of the opening a completing the rotation of the star-wheels the distance between two consecutive teeth-i. e., one-third of a rotation.

The gears k and 7." are so proportioned that one-third of a revolution of the former will produce one-tenth of a revolution of the latter, thus advancing the connected numberwheel 2' the distance between two consecutive numbers on its periphery, such movement taking place during the rotation of the main shaft 6, by which the ballot is fed into the box. The second number-wheel 2' is retated intermittingly, being advanced onetenth of a rotation at each complete rotation of the first number-wheel i by substantially similar connecting mechanism, said numberwheel 2' being in the form of a flange provided with a projection t and recess i (see Figs. 10 and 11,) cooperating with a double starwheeln n connected with the gear k meshing with the gear 71; of the second numberwheel t said connected star-wheels and gear 7.; being loose on the shaft 71/ and being rotated one-third of a revolution by the action of the projection i and flange of the ifirst number-wheel in its last movement of each complete rotation. The mechanism for transmitting the movement from the second to the third number is precisely the same, and therefore need not be described, and it is obvious that a more extended series of nu mber-wheels might be operated if there was occasion to indicate a total number above one thousand.

For convenience in setting the numberwheel to the Zero position at the beginning of a balloting the gear 7J of the second numberwheel is longitudinally movable on the shaft it, being retained in normal position by a spring 1), but capable of movement against the stress of the spring sufficient to disengage the gear lc from the gear 7; of the second numher-wheel, thus permitting the latter to be turned freely by hand, so that by a number of rotations not over ten the third and sec ond number-wheels can be set to Zero position, while the first number-wheel can be brought to the zero position by a comparatively small number of rotations of the main shaft 6, while the sleeve 7&6 is held in position to cause the star-wheel 'a n thereon to be to tated by the main shaft. The shaft hflwhich is turned one-third of a revolution by a complete rotation of the main shaft if a ballot is present, but not otherwise, maybe employed to also sound an audible signal, being provided with a series of tappets or projections i, (see Fig. 2,) which engage and trip a hammer-arm t there being three such tappets, so that the hammer-arm is operated at each onethird of a rotation of said shaft 72;. The feelerwheels g and their carryingframe drop back by gravity as soon as the ballot has passed from between them, thus returning the shifting device .71. to its normal position (shown in Fig. 2) and permitting the sleeve h to return to the position shown in said figure, where the star-wheel n is out of range of y the projection n on the flange 12 and in order to insure the positive disengagement of the counting mechanism from the main shaft said flange-wheel n is provided with a cam 5 a (see Fig. 2,) which positively throws the star-wheels n n out of position to be engaged by the projection 01 at the end of the rotation of the main shaft.

As herein shown, the feed-wheels and ballot-detector wheels and canceling devices are duplicated, there being one set at each side i of the number-Wheels; but it is obvious that one or more sets of these devices may be used.

By making the two sets of ballot-feelers or detector wheels independently movable, as above described, the shifting device it 71 may be made in two parts, each of wedge shape and so proportioned that the movement of both produced by the lifting of the corresponding detector wheels is necessary to throw the sleeve h far enough to cause the counting mechanism to be operated. Thus if a ballot is introduced endwise. or another paper not a ballot is introduced, so that said ballot or paper is interposed only between one set of the detector devices, the counting mechanism will not be operated, since the movement of eitherone of the cams or wedges h h alone will not move the collar 7L and sleeve and star-wheels connected therewith, there being normally a space between the shipping cams or wedges and the collar 72 as shown in Fig. 2, which is filled by the movement of either one of the cams from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 9, thus affording a bearing or abutment by which the collar h is caused to move when the other cam is moved from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 9. The wedges h 71. are loosely pivoted on the arm g 9 so that they can swing laterally with relation thereto, as is required when the arm g is moved with out corresponding movement of the arm 9 or the reverse. The cams hh are held down upon the shaft h by fingers 71 (see Fig. 8,) said shafts being embraced between the cam and finger, so that the former will not rise and pass over the collar instead of bearing against it. As herein shown, one of the detector-wheels g also serves as a canceling device, being provided with type on its periphery and having an inkingpad 9 to freshly ink the surface as the said Wheel rolls upon the paper fed beneath it, thus making an imprint entirely across one side of the folded ballot, there being in this instance two such type-wheels, each making its imprint across the ballot.

As herein shown, the lower feed-rolls g, as well as the printing or canceling rolls g cooperate With the rolls g g to act as a ballotdetector to control the operation of the counting mechanism according as a ballot is present or not; but it is obvious that their functions as feed-rolls and canceling-rolls does not affect their function as a ballot-detector, and the devices for detecting the presence of a ballot or rendering portions of the mechanism responsive only when a ballot is present might be entirely independent of the feeding and canceling wheels.

It is not essential to the operation that two sets of detector devices independently operated should be used. They might both be connected with the single frame,in which case both parts of the shifting device h 77/ would always move together, and consequently might be a single device. Such a modified construction of the shifting device is shown in Fig. 12, where the shifting device h is pro vided with a single cam or inclined surface 7z ,cooperating with the collar h on the sleeve h, that carries the star-wheels.

The box B, in which the mechanism is used, is provided with a cover B (see Fig. 1,) which may be opened to afford access to the ballot-receptacle, the feeding and counting mechanism being inclosed by a shield 13 provided with openings through which the numbers of the counting-wheels may be seen, while the remainder of the mechanism is inaccessible, and the said box may have an independently hinged and locked cover B to which the shield B is connected and which when opened gives access to the contents of the box and also to the ballot feeding, canceling, and counting mechanism.

The mode of operation may be briefly summarized as follows: The cover 13 of the box is opened, if necessary, and the numberwheels set to the zero-point by disengaging the gears k of the second number-Wheel and turning the same by hand until it and the third number-wheel come to the proper position, after which the first number-wheel is turned to the zero position by turning the shaft, while the shipper h 71 is pressed back by hand. Then the cover B of the box is closed and locked, so that the mechanism and contents are inaccessible until the balloting is finished. The crank E may be turned by hand indefinitely without producing any effect upon the counting mechanism and must be in or be turned to normal position to receive a ballot, the flap F then projecting forward, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. When a ballot is to be voted, itis laid, properly folded, in the receiver and will naturally drop as far as permitted by the stop a its forward portion then being well advanced between the feed wheels 9 g which are at this time widely separated, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Then the crank E. is turned and the flap F, with a quick movement, follows the upper edge of the ballot, carrying it forward to the stop a if it is not already there. At the same time the feed-wheels 9 rise and lift the ballot, so that its edge is above the stop a said wheels finally nipping the ballot between them and the positively-driven feed-wheels 9 which then carry the ballot forward into the box. The ballot at the same time lifts IIC the detector-wheels the former of which, resting upon its surface, cancels the same, and the lifting of said detector-wheels through the shifting device 72. ]L2 throws the counting mechanism into engagement with the main shaft, so that the number-wheels advance one figure and the alarm or audible signal is sounded. The number-wheels thus at any time indicate the number of ballots that have been properly deposited and fed into the box and canceled.

I claim- 1. The combination with the ballot-receiver and movable ballot-support constituting the bottom thereof, of the main shaft provided with a ballot-feed wheel, a counting mechanism, and ballotdetector adapted to be operated by a ballot carried by the movable ballot-supporting bottom of the ballot-receiver, and means operated by said ballotdctector for engaging the counting mechanism with the main shaft, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination of the ballot-receiver and ballot-feeding mechanism, with a m0v-- able flap or cover for said ballot-receiver, and connecting mechanism between the same and main actuating-shaft of the feed mechanism, whereby said flap is moved to close the receiver by the first portion of the rotation of said shaft and is opened during the completion of the rotation of the said shaft, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the ballot-receiver and movable ballot-support constituting the bottom thereof, with the main shaft and ballotfeedin g mechanism actuated thereby, and a movable flap or cover for the ballot-receiver, and connecting mechanism between the main shaft and said movable bottom and flap whereby said movable bottom is raised and the flap moved to close the receiver during the early part of the ballot-feedin g operation, and restored to their normal position at the completion of said operation, substantially as described.

4;. The combination of the ballot-feeding 'ing-shaft of the ballot-feed mechanism, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the ballot-feeding mechanism, of the counting mechanism and two independently-movable ballot-feelers and a two-part shifting device having its parts operated by said ballot-feelers respectively and adapted by their conjoint movement only to operatively engage the ballot-feedin g mechanism and counting mechanism, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the main actuatingshaft and ballot-feed wheels thereon, with a counting mechanism, a shiftable prime actuator therefor, a ballot-feeler and a shifting device operated thereby controlling the operative engagement between the prime actuator of the counting mechanism and the actuating-shaft of the ballot feed mechanism, and means whereby the said prime actuator is positively disengaged from said actuating shaft at the completion of each rotation thereof, substantially as described.

7. The ballot-receiver provided with a 1novable bottom and ballot-detector rolls supported thereon, combined with companion detector-rolls, and an independentlyanovable sup port therefor, and means for raising said movable bottom to carry the periphery of its detector-rolls beyond the periphery of the companion detector-rolls when in normal position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LUCIAN M. FOSTER.

Witnesses:

Jos. P. LIVERMORE, Nancy 1?. FORD. 

